HK Co. Accelerates Commercialization of Key Nuclear Decommissioning Technology... Advances Underwater Laser Cutting

HK Co., Ltd., a company specializing in laser processing machines, is accelerating efforts to commercialize underwater laser cutting technology targeting the nuclear power plant decommissioning market. Building on its technology for cutting 200-mm-thick stainless steel at a depth of 10 meters, the company aims to improve the field applicability of remote decommissioning systems and expand the technology beyond nuclear plant decommissioning into marine industries such as shipbuilding and offshore wind power.

HK Co., Ltd. said on October 14 that its R&D project, “Strengthening Competitiveness in Field-Specific Decommissioning Technologies,” which is developing underwater laser cutting technology for use at nuclear plant decommissioning sites, has entered its second year. The project aims to secure foundational and applied underwater laser cutting technologies, while advancing and demonstrating the technology for practical on-site use.

With the project scheduled to conclude in 2027, HK Co., Ltd. plans to improve the performance of its remote decommissioning system while enhancing its applicability in the field. In particular, it is focused on developing technology that combines robots and lasers to cut structures safely and precisely in nuclear plant decommissioning environments that workers cannot easily access directly.

From 2020 to 2023, HK Co., Ltd. carried out a government-funded project titled “Commercialization of Underwater High-Power Laser Cutting Technology for Nuclear Power Plant Decommissioning.” At the time, it was responsible for designing, developing and manufacturing the “underwater laser head for high-power applications,” a key component of laser cutting, and became the first in the world to successfully cut 200-mm-thick stainless steel at a depth of 10 meters.

HK Co., Ltd. has capabilities in industrial cutting machines based on high-power fiber lasers; high-speed, precision transfer systems; zooming and autofocus cutting heads; CNC and motion control; automatic nozzle management; and the system integration of large-scale equipment. Building on these capabilities, it has participated in developing underwater high-power laser cutting technology and remote decommissioning systems for nuclear plants, and is further advancing the technology through follow-up projects.

The growth potential of the nuclear plant decommissioning market is also increasing. Industry sources estimate that decommissioning a single nuclear power plant costs approximately 800 billion won. The importance of robot-based decommissioning technologies that can be operated remotely is growing, particularly in environments where workers cannot be deployed directly, such as high-radiation zones.

HK Co., Ltd. is also looking at the potential to extend technologies being developed for nuclear plant decommissioning to other industries. The company says that combining the technology with physical AI, including robotics, is necessary to achieve stable laser processing in extreme underwater environments. It expects that further technological advances will enable applications across a range of marine industries, including shipbuilding MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul), drilling and offshore wind power.

Accordingly, the company plans to expand its technological scope beyond underwater cutting to laser-based marine applications such as underwater welding and cleaning.

South Korea’s nuclear plant decommissioning market has also entered a phase of building experience in decommissioning an operating commercial nuclear power plant, following approval to decommission Kori Unit 1. In June 2025, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission approved the decommissioning of Kori Unit 1, the first operating commercial nuclear power plant in South Korea to receive such approval. The government plans to continue strengthening the country’s nuclear plant decommissioning capabilities through projects involving Kori Unit 1, Wolsong Unit 1 and other plants.

An HK Co., Ltd. representative said, “The United States is currently the only country with experience decommissioning large commercial reactors. According to a recent announcement by the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, 220 nuclear power plants worldwide have been permanently shut down, and decommissioning has been completed at only 23 of them: 14 commercial reactors and 9 research reactors.”

The representative added, “Our government is currently focused on strengthening national competitiveness across the nuclear industry, from construction and operation to decommissioning. We will focus on advancing technology in laser cutting, one of the key processes in nuclear plant decommissioning, to secure related foundational technologies and expand our influence in the global nuclear power value chain in the future.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.